They Were Legends
by Animus of Masada
Summary: Team 7 seemed to be doomed from the start, but a strongly determined, more mature Naruto and Sakura are going to make sure that history does not repeat itself. As Akatsuki and Sasuke make their move, will Team 7 ever become the legends they should be?
1. Chapter 1: Soon

**A/N:** **They Were Legends**

**Synopsis: Team 7 seemed to be doomed from the start, but a strongly determined, more mature Naruto and Sakura are going to make sure that history does not repeat itself. As Akatsuki and Sasuke make their move, will Team 7 ever become the legends they should be?**

**To clarify, things you can expect to see in this FF are: A more mature, stronger Naruto; a more mature, stronger Sakura; more powerful villains; big deviations from canon; Team 7 kicking ass once again. Some of that stuff, especially the deviations from canon, while not immediately apparent, will be very prominent after the first few chapters. But trust me, things will get more intense and suspenseful as you continue reading, and chapter lengths will gradually increase as well.**

* * *

"-if something only lasts for a second, how can you possibly call it art?"

They had had this argument before. More times than either of them could count. And despite the fact that both of them knew that neither could be persuaded, they continued the debate anyway.

"Because that fleeting existence is so beautiful, there is no other way to describe it!" replied a young, brash, blond, and explosively dangerous missing-nin.

Sasori couldn't help but give his characteristic grumble. _'Oh for the love of_-'

A wispy holographic figure appeared right in front of the two, giving no pretense as it delivered the order. "Sasori, Deidara, it is time. You are to head to Sunagakure and capture the Ichibi Jinchuuriki as soon as possible. We will expect you at th epredetermined hideout within two days."

And just as abruptly as he appeared, the mysterious figure, known only as Leader, vanished.

_'Thank Kami for that…I was about to kill him,_' Sasori thought.

"Well, do we walk, or fly?" came the excited retort from the brash partner.

Seeing nothing but an icy glare in return, Deidara threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine, fine! But if Leader-sama rags on our asses, _you're_ taking the blame!"

Donning their trademark straw-hats, two of the most powerful shinobi in the world set out.

* * *

A mere mile away from home, two shinobi were discussing their plans for their long-awaited return.

"Neh, Ero-sennin, you think I should give Kaka-sensei the new book as a gift, or make him work for it?"

"I'm surprised you asked, Naruto; after all, masterpieces are _valuable items_. Especially before they're even in stores." Jiraiya waited for a witty, cheerful reply, yet none came. Looking down at the boy who was not that much shorter than himself, the boy's expression said volumes more than any words could have. Two and a half years ago, such a thoughtful expression would have seemed completely out of place on the blond-haired, orange jumpsuit-wearing loudmouth. But that was the distant past, it seemed. Now the little squirt had grown to be pretty tall for his age, with a much more mature look to boot.

"You shouldn't worry so much, Naruto." '_Time for one of those stupid analogies.'_ "Just like your jumpsuit, some things always stay the same no matter how much other things change."

Naruto's only reply was a slightly more relaxed expression and a small smirk that told Jiraiya all he needed to know.

"Ero-sennin?"

"Hm?"

"First round at Ichiraku's is on you."

* * *

_'Today's the day.'_

After leaving a note on Tsunade-shishou's desk, Sakura walked towards the eastern gates as she pondered what Naruto would be like after all these years. Would he still be the obnoxiously loud, little runt that she had come to view as the brother she never had? Would he prank her right off the bat? Would he be as perverted as his sensei? _Shudder._

_

* * *

_

"We're done for the day, Sasuke-kun."

Silence.

As the door creaked shut, the "Last Uchiha" resumed his earlier thought process. He was going after Itachi sooner or later, and Orochimaru was nearing the time when he would have to transfer bodies. He had no intention of becoming a shell for such a disgusting creature of a man, regardless of his masquerade.

He needed to find Itachi. But the nagging feeling that, despite how far he had come, he was still not at his bastard-of-a-brother's level yet persisted in his mind. The Snake Sannin clearly had little, if anything, left to teach him now that the transfer ritual was less than a month away. '_Where can I get the power that I need? I know of no missing-nin that will train me that aren't part of the same organization that _he_ belongs to. Unless…no, I'm not going back. Besides, they wouldn't let me go after Itachi. Nor would anyone there be able to make me stronger. I doubt anyone besides the Hokage could match me anyway. _

_However…there is someone who has something of value. Right now, more jutsu to copy sounds quite ideal. It seems fitting that a wielder of the Sharingan is the only one who has the potential to give me the power I need to take out the third and final bearer of the Sharingan. A team might be essential to have an uninterrupted fight. And if they hinder me in any way, none of them will be able to stop me from leaving this time.'_

As the student and the master parted ways, both had a single thought on their minds.

_'Soon.'_


	2. Chapter 2: Reunion

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; Kishimoto does.

**********Chapter 2: Reunion*************

"Troublesome."

Shikamaru was planning on enjoying a nice, quiet, relaxing day off. Cloud-gazing. Doing nothing. '_But no, of course not. Ino has to drag me down to meet that blond knucklehead at the gate, because that pink-haired, scary woman had told another blond knucklehead about it. What I'd give to turn _into_ a shadow.'_

"You know you're looking forward to it just as much as she is, baka," said a voice behind him.

_'Ah, the THIRD blonde knucklehead. Well, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.'_

"You're just looking for a break too, Temari."

* * *

Shuriken deflected shuriken. Wrist deflected wrist. Face deflected foot. Dog deflected face.

The fourth training ground in Konoha was littered with weapons, insects, and piss. Two teams from the "Konoha 11" turned every spar into an all out brawl. Maito Gai smiled as the "flames of youth" seemed to be burning brighter than ever in his students. But he couldn't help but notice that things had become a little…_too_ hot in the past minute. '_I guess when you get pissed on, anything goes,' _thought the self-proclaimed Green Beast.

Looking at the time, he whistled to call for an end to the spar.

"I see the springtime of youth is more alive in you all than ever! I am terribly sorry for interrupting this youthful sparring match, but I was told to inform you that Jiraiya-sama and a certain comrade will return from his long training journey of youth very soon!"

Kiba couldn't help but cringe at every mention of the word "youthful," but smirked when he saw Hinata's reaction to the message. '_Maybe now she'll finally have the guts to say it. Or at least talk to the guy without fainting. Still, I have _got _to be there to see this. It's too good to pass up.'_

_

* * *

_

Naruto wasn't the type to cry. He'd gotten over the cold, hateful glares from the villagers, the constant comments about his status as the Kyuubi container, and the utter loneliness and confusion from his childhood days long ago. _'But hell_,' he figured, '_what's wrong with shedding a few tears when you're happy?'_

Looking back, he would remember this moment for the rest of his life. Shortly after entering the gates, he had none other than all of the Konoha 11, along with Kakashi-sensei, Gai-sensei, Iruka-sensei, and Temari waiting to greet him upon his return.

It was so much to take in all at once. Everyone looked so different. Well, not _everyone_. Kakashi-sensei still only had about a few square inches of skin showing, and despite the unusual grin from behind his mask, he looked like he hadn't changed one bit. And Gai-sensei was…well, Gai-sensei.

Overwhelmed wasn't a word used to describe Konoha's number-one-most-unpredictable-knucklehead-ninja often. The same kid who used to paint the Hokage Monument and yell at the villagers at the top of his lungs about his future as the Hokage was now actually at the center of attention of his friends. Friends that he hadn't seen in years. Friends that had somewhat written him off as a loud, annoying, idiot kid.

Underneath the genuine grins of the welcoming crowd was the surprise.

Sakura couldn't help but gawk as her expectations were blown away. '_He's...he's taller than _me_ now! And he hasn't shouted or jumped or anything! And he's crying! And…wait, he's _crying_?'_

"Naruto?" she asked with more worry in her voice than she realized.

He looked at her right in the eyes, and she could see the swirl of emotions spilling out of his own. She ran right at him and locked him in a tight embrace.

Naruto could barely manage coherent thought at this point. Sakura was _hugging_ him? When he tried that before, he ended up with more than a few bruises on his face, and never dared to try it again. Nope, coherent thought be damned. '_W_-w_hat?'_ was the only thought going through his head.

Seeing that the kid was beyond overwhelmed at this point, Jiraiya decided to give him a little space to think.

"Sorry to interrupt guys, but Naruto and I have to go report back to Tsunade-sama immediately. I'm sure you all will catch up later!" he said as he all but dragged Naruto up to a rooftop and towards the Hokage Tower.

'_Damn,'_ thought Kiba,_ 'I was hoping for a bit more entertainment. Still, in this case, patience will be rewarded in spades.'_

_

* * *

_

Only when the two neared the tower did Naruto seem to be out of his daze. He suddenly realized that Jiraiya was carrying him on his back, and promptly proceeded to try and get off, only to send the pair veering out of control and straight through the window of the Hokage's office, instead of the nearby terrace that Jiraiya had been aiming for.

Within seconds, a squad of ANBU had them pinned to the ground with kunai to their throats. Normally, Tsunade would have been utterly furious for such a blatant disruption and destruction of her office, but the scene was far too hilarious for her legendary temper to show. So instead, she gave a wide grin and a few chuckles as she ordered the ANBU to stand down.

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"And while you're at it, get me a replacement window."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

As the ANBU left the office, the Slug Princess reached into her drawer to retrieve a bottle of sake from her "hidden" stash.

"So," she remarked as she opened the bottle, "I see that the Leaf's number-one-most-unpredictable-knucklehead-ninja doesn't fail to disappoint. How was the trip?"

* * *

"Was he…crying?" Ino almost couldn't recall a time when Naruto had anything but a wide grin on his face.

"It seems that us all being here to greet him means more to him than many of us realize." Kakashi remarked.

Sakura was still staring off into the distance where Naruto had vanished with Jiraiya. She, too, was a bit overwhelmed by Naruto's sudden change.

Kakashi had orders, though. "Sakura, Tsunade-sama wanted you and me to report to her with Naruto when he arrived. We should get going."

She waited a few moments before regaining her composure. "H-hai."

* * *

By the time that the rest of Team 7 had entered the Hokage's Office, Naruto was much more composed and lucid. He turned back to smile at Sakura and his teacher, who returned the gesture just as heartily.

"As much as I hate to break up reunions," the Hokage interrupted, "I need to get a grasp of how you've grown in the past few years, Naruto. Kakashi, you decide the method. Shizune and I will observe."

The silver-haired jounin turned to his students, without preamble. "Meet me at the old training ground in two minutes. You know where."

Kakashi couldn't help but notice the signature grin that Konoha's Most Unpredictable Knucklehead Ninja was so famous for. _'This ought to be interesting…'_

As the newly-reunited Team 7 sped towards the training ground, Jiraiya let out a laugh. "You didn't bother telling him that the rest of his classmates are going to watch as well?"

"I've learned over the years that surprises make life more interesting."

"Heh, indeed…when they don't get you killed."

The Legenday Sucker could only try to stifle the bitter memories that followed that retort.

* * *

Today was just not his day. Gaara had entertained ambassadors from the Moon Country, completed an unusually large stack of paperwork, reprimanded a shinobi who had made a serious mistake on a mission that had nearly cost the life of one of his comrades, and reprimanded a shinobi whose serious mistake _had_ cost the life of a comrade—on top of delivering his condolences to the family of said shinobi.

His brother had actually set him up on a date that night with Matsuri, the same girl he had rescued from missing-nin from a minor shinobi village nearly three years prior, and whom he had grown close to over the years. He'd actually been looking forward to that, as he gazed out of the windows in his office. He was so deep in his musings that he almost didn't notice a distinct white bird circling over the village.

'_There are no birds like that here_.'

Strapping his sand gourd to his back, he set out to the roof.

Today was _really_ not his day.

* * *

**A/N: So here's chapter two. I honestly didn't think there'd be any interest in this, or that I would continue it, but hell, why not. If you guys want more, please let me know. I'll take any constructive criticism and comments I can get. Let me know what you think. A lot of things about this story are subject to change, so any ideas and whatnot you have could end of having a significant impact on this story.**

**Please, please review. As much as I like writing, seeing that people care better motivation than anything.**


	3. Chapter 3: The first rule of Fight Club

**Standard disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! As a special treat, here is chapter three, posted on the same day as the previous two. Also, if anyone knows how to find/make names for jutsu that are not covered in the manga/anime, please let me know.  
**

*******Chapter 3: The first rule of Fight Club…*********

Kakashi had joked in the past that his blonde student was Konoha's number-one-unpredictable-knucklehead ninja. He wasn't joking now.

_Two Hours Earlier_

Naruto and Sakura made it to their old training ground with plenty of time to spare. As they both looked around, bathing in the waves of nostalgia that hit them, their sensei broke the reverie.

"Well, I believe it is time we find out if you two can actually get the bells this time. Same rules as before," he said as he dangled the infamous bells out in front of his students. "Anything goes. You have three hours. Ready?"

Sakura nodded with an excited look plastered all over her face, while Naruto spoke up. "How about a little bet, sensei?"

The jounin's head perked up at this. Naruto wasn't normally one to _make_ bets. "Hm?"

"If we get those bells, you stop reading the Icha Icha series for a month."

'_What kind of idiot does he think I am—'_

"But if we _don't_ get those bells," he continued, "you get this." He pulled out a book from his equipment pouch.

The normally stoic jounin's single eye went wide. "I-is t-that…_a new one? How—"_

"It's unreleased, of course. Traveling with the author tends to have its privileges, right sensei?"

'_Naruto, it's a shame. I was planning on taking it easy at first, but now…'_

"Start."

Kakashi uncovered his Sharingan as Naruto performed his all-too-predictable opening move: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. "Again with the same, Naruto? I would have thought you'd be a bit more unpredic—"

He never finished that sentence, as the new Icha Icha book came flying at his face through the smoke, with an exploding tag loosely attached. The fanboy that he was, Kakashi instantly grabbed the book and tore the exploding tag off, throwing it to the side. _'Nice one, but now you've lost your leverage—' _

Without warning, he heard a distinct _poof_ before he was slugged in the face, hard. With his years of experience, he quickly recovered. His pride, however, was not so lucky. Naruto was staring at him with an all-knowing smile on his face, while Sakura stared at her teammate with her eyebrows raised. Kakashi quickly realized his mistake; the book had actually been a henge'd clone, which had released its transformation once Kakashi took his eyes off of the book, and sucker-punched him in the face.

The blonde wasn't about to let it slide, however. "Ninja technique #1: Taijutsu."

Recalling when he had said those exact words three years ago, Kakashi amusedly wondered if his student had been looking forward to saying that back at him for a long time.

"Okay, looks like I'll need to step it up a bit," the jounin replied.

Flashing through a series of seals, Kakashi slammed his hands into the ground as a trail of razor-sharp spikes shot out at the ground towards his students. Sakura would have none of that, though, and slammed her fist into the ground with a short battle cry. The impending series of spikes were shattered from the shockwave, countering the attack. Naruto lept into the air, finished a series of several seals, and shot a menacing sphere of wind out of his mouth. Kakashi surmised that the effects of such a jutsu would be rather destructive.

He wasn't about to stick around to find out. He settled on a tried and true tactic: Kawarimi no Jutsu. Just in the nick of time, the silver-haired man was replaced with a log as the wind-sphere impacted the space he had just vacated, resulting in a huge explosion. For the first time ever, Kakashi thought that _he_ would be the one getting schooled by his own students.

* * *

"Gaara!" Kankuro's cries, though fierce with emotion and determination, could do nothing against the surreal situation before them. The Kazekage, whom nearly everyone in Sunagakure viewed as unbeatable in his home environment, was snatched out of the air by this mysterious white bird. The fight had been spectacular, but the Kazekage had to defend his village from an explosive-weidling maniac, and paid the price for fighting a three-fronted battle.

Matsuri, for all of her growth and determination to repay her savior from three years prior, knew she would not stand a chance against shinobi of this caliber.

But that didn't mean she wasn't going to try.

* * *

Kakashi was panting harder than he had in a long time. He knew that without a doubt, if he didn't have his Sharingan, he wouldn't have been able to deal with Sakura's genjutsu or keep up with Naruto's never-ending, unpredictable assaults.

That didn't mean he couldn't blame his current predicament on his lack of complete-compatibility with the Sharingan, thus suffering from chakra drain every time he used it.

Before he could rest any significant amount, he realized that everything was too quiet. He looked above and behind him, and low and behold, three chakra signatures were poised to strike. Leaping up to a nearby branch, he performed a quick genjutsu dispelling, revealing three Naruto's standing where he was a moment ago. All three clones quickly performed a few seals, and pointed their palms towards the cycloptic jounin. _'What is it _this_ time?'_

A harsh gale of wind erupted from the clones as Kakashi barely managed to defend with a raiton-based defensive wall. Just as he did that, however, a fist connected with the back of his head, sending him careening forward into the dirt below.

With his body already exhausted, he couldn't recover in time for one of the Naruto's to grab the bells from his belt. The jounin looked back up at his students, his signature lazy look returning to his face.

A voice called out to his right, "Ninja Technique #2: Genjutsu."

And then one to his left, accompanied by the sound of ringing bells. "Ninja Technique #3: Ninjutsu."

Sighing, Kakashi stood back up and smiled at his students. "Nice work. I'm very impressed." The realization then dawned on Kakashi that the bells had, in fact, been taken before time ran out, and that he wouldn't be able to read anything from the Icha Icha series for an entire month. The smile left his face immediately. _'Oh, sonavab—' _

An orange, rectangular object slammed into his face. Quickly catching the object, he realized that it was the very same book Naruto had shown him earlier. Confusion plastered all over what little of his face was visible, Kakashi looked up at the blonde. "I thought—"

"The bet was just a way to introduce the book without suspicion, so I could use it like that at the beginning," Naruto responded with a small smile on his face.

Kakashi had joked in the past that his blonde student was Konoha's number-one-unpredictable-knucklehead ninja. He wasn't joking now.

* * *

**A/N: And so the first bit of action appears. I know this chapter followed canon a bit more than I would have liked, but it had so much potential, and it's hard to find another excuse to have a unique action scene at this point in time. I promise things will start to differ greatly in a few chapters, but for now, things are going to be similar to canon with my own twists until I can introduce the really big changes.**

**I really appreciate the reviews I've gotten so far. I wasn't going to write this chapter so soon, but two nice reviews were all the motivation I needed. Since summer just started for me, I'm going to have some free time, so if you guys want frequent updates, let me know.**


	4. Chapter 4: The First Domino

**A/N: Here is chapter four. I can't help but notice that there is a very large discrepency between the amount of hits/visitors and the number of reviews; if you're reading this story at all, _PLEASE_ review. It means a lot to me, and helps other readers discover this story. The more reviews a story has, the more likely it is to be noticed by new readers. Aside from those factors, hearing what you all think helps me improve my story and encourages me to write.**

**Without further ado...**

**********Chapter 4: The First Domino********

When faced with a significant decision, Sasuke rarely had trouble deciding what to do. Usually, the answer simply came down to which path would lead him to more power. But today, he had to decide between doing the world a favor or being on his way to his true goal.

Needless to say, taking on one of the legendary Sannin tended to bring pause to Sasuke's thoughts. As he neared the door to his "master's" room, he listened in on a conversation between the snake and his favorite pet.

"…so they've finally made their move?"

"Capturing the Kazekage in front of all of Sunagakure fits Akatsuki's profile. No one else would even attempt such a feat, let alone succeed."

"They're likely to use the hideout in the nearby River Country…it might be time to pay my old _friends_ a visit."

"Orochimaru-sama, forgive my impudence, but with the ritual being so close, perhaps—"

"Yes, patience would be rather rewarding. I've waited years for this, so a few weeks shouldn't be a problem."

'_Akatsuki is in the River Country,' _thought the Uchiha prodigy, _'which means _he_ will be too. It would seem that I've got more important things to do than take on the Snake Sannin.'_ Even as arrogant as he was, Sasuke held _some_ limits with his ego. He knew that taking on Orochimaru without some significant advantage to tip the scales would be unwise. But Kabuto, on the other hand…

It would be far easier and still be a significant blow to the snake. Not to mention that it would help smooth things over with Konoha, should he decide to go with that option. The setup wouldn't be difficult; a believable distraction, during which Sasuke would appear to show up as backup, only to turn on him at his most vulnerable moment. _'Tonight.'_

* * *

A low, amused whistle broke the silence that had settled over the Konoha 11 ever since the beginning of the fight. "It looks like the idiot grew in more than his height," the shaggy-haired teen said as has dog barked in approval.

Casting a furtive glance at his chronically shy teammate, Kiba noticed the admiration and pride that swelled beneath her pale eyes. _'You've grown too, Hinata. I hope you realize that.'_

Having sparred with Sakura frequently, the ninja near Kiba weren't surprised by her performance. But the blond's case was a very different story. The looks of surprise were evident across each of his friends' faces as Naruto unleashed several powerful fuuton jutsus and demonstrated excellent usage of his famous Kage Bunshin. The biggest shock, however, was his demeanor. Gone was the seemingly idiotic way of speaking, or the hyperactive, overexcited attitude he had constantly, even in battle. Instead, the teen looked like he had actually grown up a bit while he was away.

"Let's not keep them waiting," said Tsunade, who had been observing the battle with a prideful smirk.

The group descended towards the trio below, who looked up with expressions of shock, amusement, and indifference. Respectively, of course.

"How long have you all been watching?" asked the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Whole time, Forehead," replied her old friend.

Tsunade never dropped her smirk as she spoke, "Well done, both of you. I'm thoroughly impressed. Naruto," she then switched to her 'Hokage' voice, "you demonstrated many unique tactics, versatility, adaptability, and ability to keep a level head in times of action. I hereby promote you to Chuunin status."

After a few moments of shock, Naruto rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment from the praise as he displayed a sheepish grin. She wasn't finished, however. "And I must say, it's about time. The rest of the group has been wondering when you'd catch up."

"Huh? You guys are all Chuunin?" replied the exasperated blond. He turned to his teammate. "You too, Sakura-chan?"

Everyone nodded, though Tenten spoke up. "Neji made Jounin, actually." At that, Naruto's head snapped to the face of his former rival, determination for a rematch burning in both of their eyes. This wasn't missed by the crowd.

"I see," said Naruto, in a tone that seemed out of place coming from him.

Seeing that there was likely to be another lengthy spar if she didn't intervene, Tsunade spoke up. "Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, you're all dismissed. Good work. As for the rest of you, it's about dinner time anyway. Why don't you all catch up over a nice meal?"

Knowing that Ichiraku's couldn't possibly seat so many, Sakura expected Naruto to bring everyone's attention to the fact immediately. But once again, she was surprised by her formerly idiotic teammate. "Sounds great, everyone. How about we let Chouji decide?"

Little did she know that Naruto had already decided to have a clone pick up 10 bowls of miso-ramen to go.

* * *

Sometimes, things were too easy, Sasuke decided. Setting one of Orochimaru's more powerful experiments free had created just the type of distraction he needed. And he didn't even need to ask. As he waited in the shadows, Kabuto approached the escaped prisoner with a twisted chuckle.

"Orochimaru-sama doesn't appreciate it when experiments try and take matters into their own hands. You should know that escape is futile by now, Suigetsu."

The teen showed a twisted grin of his own. Sasuke could easily deduce that Suigetsu had been looking forward to such an opportunity for a long, long time. The water-based shinobi charged the medic-nin, using a jutsu to enlarge the muscles in his arms. Kabuto's hands emanated blue chakra as he initiated the chakra scalpel technique that Sasuke was all too familiar with.

Suigetsu's fist raced towards the glasses-wearing shinobi when his arm was sliced clean off by a smirking Kabuto. The severed arm quickly reverted back into water, and started to form a small spear behind the white-haired man's back. As Suigetsu tried to keep up Kabuto's unrelenting attacks, Sasuke waited for the right opportunity. Kabuto was about to successfully slice off the water-nin's head, but just as the water spear was about to impale Kabuto from behind, Sasuke saw his opening. He used the body flicker technique to shoot forward, and caught the water spear mere inches from the medic-nin's back.

Suigetsu turned to look at Sasuke in confusion and anger, while Kabuto looked behind him, seeing what Sasuke had done, and turned back to Suigetsu, relief evident on his face. "Thanks for the assist, Sasuke-kun. I guess this pest wasn't so brainless after al—"

He never finished the sentence. With his back to Sasuke after turning to face what he believed to be the true threat, Kabuto was impaled from behind with the same water spear that Sasuke had seemingly saved Kabuto from a moment ago. The Sharingan master didn't miss; Kabuto was dead before he hit the ground.

"You're welcome." Sasuke began to head to one of the exits to the hideout. It was time to move.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you liked this one. Kabuto had it coming, really, and I still don't understand why (in the manga) Sasuke didn't kill him after beating Orochimaru. It will obviously come to bite him in the butt later.**

**Things are going to start seriously deviating from canon at this point. And _please_, review! There are a lot of hits/visitors, but reviews are the reason I keep writing, and writing as often as I do. There is no greater joy for a writer than hearing specific feedback or comments about their work.**


	5. Chapter 5: The Time

**A/N: And here we are. Things seriously start deviating from canon from here on out, so be warned. Also, some deviations have been set to happen well in advance to the beginning of this story, chronologically, so some characters _may_ be OOC. If they are, it will be explained why in a logical manner. If it is _not_ explained, please let me know so I can correct it. Once again, pleeaaaaase review. It means more than you know, and is the fastest way to make me write the next chapter.**

* * *

**********Chapter 5: The Time*************

As most of the ninja headed for Chouji's favorite BBQ restaurant, Kakashi, Jiraiya, and his longtime teammate stayed behind.

"So how did you do it?" asked the jounin.

"Training from hell." The Toad Sannin apparently didn't feel the need to elaborate further.

"...he's already done that," replied Kakashi.

The other silver-haired man sighed before continuing. "You remember how when a Kage Bunshin is dispelled, the original receives all of the clone's memories and experiences?"

The jounin nodded.

"Remember how many Kage Bunshin Naruto can make?"

The jounin's eye went wide.

"You get it, then. That's how he's so adept with fuuton jutsu. As for the Kage Bunshin stuff, well, let's just say that all he needed were a few tips and demonstrations and he did the rest himself."

The blond interjected, "What about everything else? What happened to the idiotic, brash, hyperactive kid I flicked into the dirt three years ago?"

"A little..._foreceful_ persuasion, coupled by constant, _forceful_ lessons. He got the message eventually. But honestly, it seems that most of his problems stemmed from the fact that no one taught him much of anything for the first eight years of his life, and even then, his instruction was hardly up to par. He learned some things on his own, but as you can probably guess, he didn't learn a great deal either. I had enough time to fix that."

The other two nodded, knowing enough about the boy's past to imagine what Jiraiya was talking about.

* * *

Temari prided herself in being one of the most level-headed ninja in Sunagakure.

That all went to hell when her brother was taken by those...whoever they were. _'Come to think of it,'_ she thought, _'who the heck WOULD be interested in attacking Sunagakure and capturing their Kage _alive_?'_

Pushing those thoughts aside, Temari increased her speed until she was finally catching up to the pair of mysterious shinobi that had taken her baby brother. Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes as she saw the state her brother was in.

Had she not let her emotions get the better of her, she might have noticed the blond shinobi turn around with a smirk on his face as he lifted his hands to form a seal.

Had she not let her emotions get the better of her, she might have noticed the sinking sensation as her foot descended into the ground.

Had she not let her emotions get the better of her, she might have reacted in time to dodge the fiery explosion that erupted from the ground beneath her feet.

* * *

Naruto didn't use to be observant. He liked to go into situations head first and figure out everything else later. Winging it had done well enough in the past. But Ero-sennin had knocked that habit out of him over the years. He still was the ultimate genius of impromptu plans, but now he cared to look at a situation and his surroundings first.

Like, for instance, the fact that Hinata had not taken her eyes off of him since the dinner started, nor the fact that she was trying (and failing) to hide it. Thinking back, he began to recall the memories that had completely puzzled him before. Deep blushes at any close or physical contact, outright fainting on occasion, and the fact there she called him "Naruto-kun" well before anyone besides Jiji used an honorific with his name. Once the topic of the conversation had drifted away from his trip, he began to sort it all out. Recalling what Ero-sennin had lectured him about when it came to women and relationships (though Naruto always took everything he said with a grain of sand; he WAS a pervert without rival, after all), he arrived at a conclusion he realized he should have reached a very long time ago.

Looking back at that moment, Naruto would remind himself to never come to a huge epiphany again when drinking from a cup of water.

Though he supposed that of all people to be the unfortunate victim of such an accident, Shikamaru was the best option. After staring at the blond for a few seconds, he just looked down, smirked, and shook his head. "Troublesome."

After apologizing with his trademark sheepish-grin-and-hand-rubbing-back-of-head, it was Naruto's turn to cast furtive glances at Hinata. He was much better at it, of course, due to Jiraiya's helpful lessons as a spymaster. He never really thought about her like she thought about him, but then again, he never really thought about _anybody_ like that before. He wasn't exactly experienced in the love department; he could could the number of people who didn't hate him before he graduated from the academy on two hands, and no one ever fit the definition of "love" that Jiraiya had explained to him. He supposed he could start to find out by being a closer friend than he had been before, now that he realized the ridiculously shy kunoichi was not inexplicably weird, but rather easily overcome by feelings from a strong crush.

He'd have to ask Sakura-chan about it later.

* * *

Kankuro had a bad feeling nagging at him in the back of his mind. As a puppeteer, he listened to these bad feelings very diligently, as they usually meant that the enemy had flanked you or found your hiding spot, and were very much about to kill you.

After seeing Temari rush after Gaara without any semblance of caution, Kankuro knew what to do. He was prepared for scenarios like this, and had actually done something similar on a mission before. He attached chakra strings to Temari, who was far too emotional to notice, and when he saw the blond shinobi turn around with a smirk and perform a seal, Kankuro was again very thankful for these bad feelings.

He yanked the chakra strings as hard and as fast as he could, watching Temari fly back towards him just as an explosion ripped out of the ground that she had been standing in a moment before. Not wanting to repeat the heart-stopping experience again, he held Temari down as he sternly warned her. "You know better than this. You're not going to save Gaara by charging after these guys without thinking, and I doubt he wants to feel at all responsible for _your_ death, too."

A few moments later, she visibly calmed and returned to the collected kunoichi he knew so well. "Good. Now, we obviously can't take them head on; the blond one beat Gaara without loosing a drop of blood. And we don't even know what that other guy can do. I'm sure the higher-ups called for backup from Konoha as soon as Gaara was captured, but we won't do anyone any good dead. Let's leave a trail for a rescue team to follow."

Kankuro had a bad feeling nagging at him in the back of his mind. Not one of immanent danger, but of one he couldn't quite place. _'Why don't they care that we're following them? They don't even look like they're in much of hurry!"

* * *

_

As everyone started to leave the enjoyable dinner, Naruto pulled Sakura aside.

"What is it, Naruto?"

"Sakura-chan, what I'm about to ask you is completely hypothetical, okay?"

She looked at him, slightly confused. _'I guess Jiraiya-sama made him memorize a dictionary in the past three years, too.'_ Sakura also realized that, at the first mention of the word, "hypothetical," Naruto was in fact talking about something that was in no way hypothetical. She was a book-smart kunoichi, after all. "Okay."

"So...if someone were to like you, and I mean _really_ like you, and you aren't sure whether or not you like them back the same way, what do you do?"

She was also a well trained, down-to-business kunoichi, who knew how to not let her inner emotions show when she didn't want them to. While her mind was reeling at the bomb Naruto had just dropped on her, she showed not one iota of that inner scheming."Well, yo-"

"Hold it, everyone!" Naruto's head, along with everyone's from Teams 1, 7, 8, and 10, turned around to look at the Toad Sannin. They ignored the fact that half of the people on the street were now looking at the silver-haired man too, wondering what the hollering was about. As they gathered around, Jiraiya delivered the bad news. "Get your gear for a five day combat-heavy mission and meet at the southern gates in 15 minutes. All of you."

Naruto wasn't about to leave it at that. "Ero-sennin, what's going on?"

Jiraiya's expression turned even more grim. "The Kazekage had been captured...by Akatsuki."

While only Naruto knew what that second part meant, he was still trying to connect the dots to the one piece of important information he didn't yet know. _'Kazekage? Why would Akatsuki be after the Kazek-'_ "Gaara!"

"Precisely. Now get your gear. You've got _14_ minutes, now."No one needed any further spurning than that.

* * *

A lone shinobi, clad in white and dark purple, sped through the forest towards the River Country. In between the time when he overheard Orochimaru's comments about recent events in Suna and his assassination of Kabuto, he looked up the location of the most likely hideout for Akatsuki to use. But merely knowing the location of the hideout did Sasuke little good. On one hand, it was probable that Itachi would be there. On the other, if he was there, then so would the rest of Akatsuki. Even Sasuke knew that such a situation would make achieving his goal quite impossible._'Akatsuki is after jinchuuriki, and Naruto is one of them. Considering that Itachi himself went after Naruto last time, being near him might save me the trouble of looking for him, and at the same time, take that freaky partner of his out of the equation.' _He already knew, from Orochimaru, that Suna and Konoha had become strong allies after the failed invasion of Konoha three years prior. He couldn't recall how, but he knew that Gaara, that same insane jinchuuriki that was the definition of bloodlust, became Kazekage recently. How _that_ happened, Sasuke couldn't even begin to fathom. But recalling the bond Naruto and Gaara share, Sasuke began to formulate a plan.

One that _wouldn't_ end with him in a Tsukuyomi-induced coma yet again.

* * *

Assembled at the southern gates precisely one minute early, the Konoha 11 and their Jounin sensei were awaiting the mission briefing.

Tsunade began, "The Kazekage, whom many of you know as Gaara, was captured by Akatsuki sometime earlier today. Akatsuki is a group of S-ranked missing-nin that are after the nine bijuu for unknown reasons. For those of you who don't know, bijuu are chakra beasts that have a specific number of tails, with more tails indicating more power. You already know of the most powerful one, the Kyuubi no Youko. I don't need to tell you of the possible consequences of such a group obtaining that kind of power. We don't know if Akatsuki has other associates, or their specific numbers, though we believe it to be relatively few. Do not underestimate them, however. Each member is capable of taking on several Jounin at once, and probably emerging victorious."

She let her words sink in for a few moments before continuing. "If Akatsuki successfully steals the bijuu from Gaara, he will die. There is no question about that. Even if it does not kill him, Akatsuki only stands to profit from such an assassination. We don't know how long it will take to extract the bijuu, nor where or how Akatsuki plans to do it. On top of finding out those things, your top priority is the rescue of the Kazekage. That is why all of you are going this mission; there is too little that we know and what we _do_ know only scares us more. Team 8, you will be responsible for finding the Kazekage, while the rest of you are tasked with combat and retrieval.

"One more thing. We know that only two members of Akatsuki were present when the Kazekage was captured, and only one of them fought. That shinobi was capable of flight, and used strange, white creations as explosives. There may be more waiting for you. Take care, and good luck. Any questions?"

No one raised a hand. "Very well then, move out."

Naruto was still seething as the group sped towards Suna. _'Those bastards! Gaara has more problems to deal with than anyone should ever have to. His status as a jinchuuriki has already ruined his life. I'm not going to let it be the death of him, too!'

* * *

_Elder Chiyo knew full well that she could do nothing as their Kazekage fought the mysterious shinobi in the sky. Senile she may have been, but a pragmatist she was just as much. Heading towards the entrance of the village to look for any other intruders, she spotted a sight she had not seen in many years.

_'Hiruko...Sasori. I know that puppet far too well. What are you doing here, my grandson?"_

Before she could attack, she felt a massive explosion behind her. Recovering, she noticed the strange white bird snatch the falling Kazekage out of the air, and start heading towards her direction.

_'Perhaps a bit of discretion is in order.'_ Deciding to head out discretely, Chiyo could do nothing but wait as the two shinobi walked out of Sunagakure, acting as if they were on a morning stroll rather than fleeing the scene of an attack on the leader of Sunagakure.

* * *

**A/N: And that's chapter five. You'll notice that this one is significantly longer than the previous ones; I'll probably gradually increase the length of each chapter as this story progresses and I get a better feel for writing FF's.**

**You'll _also_ notice that I may have hinted at a bit of NaruHina shipping. Don't worry, this story will not become a romance story by any means. I also have not made any final decisions on the matter, so if you want to influence where that goes, review.**

**Speaking of which, PLEASE review. If you have this story on alert, I thank you so much. If you also review, though, I'll love you (you know what I mean). Seriously people, reviews motivate me to write this story more than anything. So please, R&R.**

**Next chapter: Soldiers of the Dawn  
**


	6. Chapter 6: Soldiers of the Dawn

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far! I know that this is my first fanfic, so any feedback is greatly appreciated. I'll try and improve as I go.**

**********Chapter 6: Soldiers of the Dawn*************

Speeding through the forest, the Konoha expedition knew that time was of the essence. Naruto wasn't about to let his friend die, especially because of the monster inside of him. In a way, he felt detached from the rest of the group, and could not explain to them why this was the case. A bond between jinchuuriki was as unique as it was strong; it could not be explained to others. The experiences and mentalities that jinchuuriki's shared was only something that could be lived through.

A question shook him from his thoughts, "Naruto, you seemed to already know about Akatsuki and what they're after before the mission briefing. Why?" Shino was a curious individual and sometimes too keen for his own good, Naruto surmised. _'Well, no point in hiding it anymore. I'm done running.'_

"Because I'm the jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi no Youko." There was no use mincing words or skirting around the issue. Bluntness _had_ been something he was known for, after all.

At that, nearly every one of the Konoha 11 stopped dead in their tracks. It shouldn't have surprised him, given that they had just found that not only had their academy lessons about the fox been a lie, but that their eccentric friend held none other than the most powerful demon in the world within him.

"_What?_" asked a startled Sakura. "_H-how?_"

"The Yondaime didn't kill the fox; nobody could. His only option was to seal it away-into _me_."

The shocked faces and looks of surprise didn't unease Naruto in the slightest; he was used to odd glares. For his friends, pieces of a puzzle they didn't even realize existed began falling into place.

_'Now I understand,'_ thought Sakura._ 'Those looks from the villagers, they weren't from the pranks or his rudeness. And why he cares so much about Gaara._'

Neji recalled something he had been told during his fateful Chuunin Exam match years ago.

_-Three Years Prior, Chuunin Exam Finals-_

_The Hyuuga prodigy pointed an accusatory finger at the 'dead last.' "You could never understand what it's like to be burdened with a symbol that you could never rid yourself of!"_

_But the retort was something he had never expected. The blond looked up at him, and smiled. "Yeah, I can. And? So what?"_

_-Present Time-_

Now he finally understood what his opponent had meant by that.

Naruto studied the faces of his friends. Despite his calm exterior, he was extremely worried. If the villagers were any indication, he could expect them to act like nothing more than professionals on a mission, by necessity. After that...

Sakura put a stop to those thoughts. "Naruto," she said, hardly above a whisper, "I'm so sorry. I should have realized...I shouldn't have acted so coldly towards you."

Before Naruto could assure Sakura that none of that was her fault, Hinata spoke up (much to the surprise of everyone around her). "Y-you're not a monster, Naruto-kun." Pasuing for a brief moment, she did something that shocked Naruto even more. "B-besides, y-you couldn't possibly be more of an animal than Kiba-kun."

Kiba nearly fell over at that. "O-oi! What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

Shino spoke next, immediately getting everyone's attention. The stoic shinobi wasn't exactly much of a talker, so everyone listened in when he decided to say something. "It would be illogical to have a different mentality towards you after knowing of your status as jinchuuriki. Had it been an issue before, we surely would have known by now. Why? Because news of demonic chakra and collateral damage would spread like wildfire."

Naruto looked down, and said in an unusually quiet voice, "Thanks, everyone. I've...I'm really glad to hear that. Thank you."

As they continued on in deafening silence, Hinata called out from the lead position. "I see movement; several contacts two kilometers out, southwest. They appear to be moving for the Wind/River country border!"

* * *

The Sand Siblings, as they had become known as over the years, tailed the ones who had captured their brother at a safe distance. As they neared the edge of the forest that marked the boundary between the Wind and River countries, Temari had her own nagging feeling.

Not wanting to wait to find out, she reached for her iron fan, bringing it to bear in a well-practiced, single motion and swung. The attack was not meant to do damage, but reveal any potential traps.

She should have made a bet with Kankuro, she mused, as she had just hit the jackpot. With the top layer of sand blown away, half a dozen shinobi burst from their hiding spot, cover blown, and weaved seals. Her brother was already prepping his puppets, so Temari swung her fan again, this time with the intent to cause some serious damage.

* * *

Seeing the trap was sprung, Deidara smiled to his partner. "See, sempai? I told you I should have done it myself. They wouldn't stand a chance against my art!"

Sasori was about to retort, when a familiar sensation spiked in his mind. _'Sasori, report,'_ said the mental voice of their leader.

_'We have the target in custody and are heading to the hideout as we speak,' _replied the puppet master.

_'And have they been engaged?'_

_'Yes, they're going to have their hands quite full. It seems that you were right when you created this force.'_

_'Indeed. By the time the rest of the rescue force arrives, they will be just in time to meet the Soldiers of the Dawn head on._

* * *

Kankuro decided to start with his tried and true, old friend: Karasu. He'd made many modifications over the years, but it was his improved skills that made this puppet all the more deadly. As the puppet opened its mouth, poisoned senbon launched at the nearest enemy, who was already in the air, and thus could not dodge. Not able to parry two dozen senbon at once, the shinobi was peppered and fell to the ground, lethally poisoned.

Bringing his Salamander puppet to bear, he activated the launchers in its mouth, which fired off round projectiles at a pair of hostiles still in the air. Though they were far less accurate than the senbon and much slower, they were impossible to defend against with traditional means. They found their mark, and exploded on contact. _'Three down._'

But before he could bring his third and final puppet into attack position, the remaining shinobi unleashed the jutsu they had been preparing. A thin but concentrated stream of water shot out at the Karasu puppet, and Kankuro desperately maneuvered it away, but not before two of its limbs were severed clean off. Another shinobi fired off several fireballs at the fleeing Karasu, igniting it and severely damaging it. Officially pissed at the destruction of his old friend, Kankuro launched poison gas bombs at the offending shinobi, forcing them to flee from the gas. As they tried to jump clear, they were peppered by kunai launched by the Salamander puppet.

The final shinobi blew a large stream of water at Temari, only the wind-user's attack to slice through the water and straight into the enemy, lethally wounding him. She dodged the failed attack and regrouped with her brother. "It appears that they have allies, though they aren't nearly as powerful as the ones in those cloaks," said Temari.

Kankuro didn't have time to respond, as a large gust of wind shot out towards the pair, sending a cloud of sand up in the air. Temari quickly swung her fan to clear away the sand, but almost wished she hadn't, for a dozen more of those unknown hostiles were waiting at the edge of the forest.

"I can't believe you didn't wait for me; I'm offended." Temari and Kankuro turned around to see none other than their jounin-sensei, Baki. "But still, there is plenty of action left, so I forgive you." Behind their teacher were another half dozen Suna jounin. Things were only just getting started.

* * *

As the Konoha team neared the enemy patrol, Kakashi ordered operational silence. He sent Neji, Shino, and Naruto out to gather any information they could.

"...We're nearly at the end of our patrol route. We'll have to report back to Leader-sama if no one shows up within the next three hours," said one of the shinobi. They were all dressed in a red and black uniform with cloud designs. Naruto noted that they were distinctly different from the signature Akatsuki cloaks he'd seen in the past; these were much more subtle in their design, and were not nearly as large or voluminous. Neji and Shino, however, seemed to be scared out of their wits as they had no way of reaching a similar conclusion.

"When we report back, we'll regroup with the forces stationed in the forest near the river."

"But our orders-"

"If they aren't here within the next few hours, then Konoha will be too late anyway. _I'm_ giving you all an order. _Understood?_"

"Hai!" they all barked in unison.

Naruto knew that there was no time for debate; if they were to get the info they needed, they would need to get it _now_. He signaled to Neji and Shino that they were going to attack. Though Neji was a bit flabbergasted at this, as he was the superior ranked shinobi present, he knew that he had no choice. If Naruto was going to attack, then they should at least help rather than sit idly by.

Naruto flung a few shuriken at the patrol, forming a few seals. The shuriken then multiplied into several dozen, raking the patrol before they knew what hit them. Shino unleashed his kikaichu swarm at the rest, while Neji went down to take on anyone still willing to fight, and disable those who were wounded by the shuriken. Naruto formed half a dozen clones, who proceeded to mop up the rest.

Hinata quickly reported what happened, and the rest of the team from Konoha joined the trio. "What's going on? Why did you attack? We gave explicit orders to observe and gain information, not give away our position!" Kakashi was agitated, he thought his student had changed.

"We have all the information we were going to get. Besides, we seem to have only a few hours before the sealing process is complete. If we can do a quick interrogation, then we have plenty of prisoners to do it with," Naruto said. Surprised, Kakashi waited a moment to collect himself before speaking.

"Very well. Ino?"

"Hai." Using techniques she had honed under her father's tutelage, she approached who Neji pointed out as the leader, and palced her palm against his forehead as she concentrated. A minute later, she broke the technique and turned to her team. "They were going to head to an area not too far from here, to the south. It's what looks like a small cliffside overlooking a river, except there's a huge boulder protruding from the cliff."

"Then that's where we're headed." Kakashi paused a moment before sighing. "There rest of you go on ahead for a bit, I'll finish up here."

"No," Neji interjected, "I'll do it. I can end their ability to be a threat for the rest of their lives without killing them."

Knowing that the Gentle Fist could do some serious damage to more than just the chakra system, Kakashi nodded. This decision seemed to put many of the team at ease.

After the deed was done, the team headed south at top speed. 'A few hours' was not nearly enough for Naruto's liking.

* * *

"_Leader-sama, we seem to have intruders."_

The wispy silhouette known to his subordinates as 'Leader' turned to face his plant-like minion. "Report."

"Several teams of shinobi have breached the perimeter; their headbands make them out to be from Konoha. I recognize a few of them; namely Kakashi of the Sharingan and Maito Gai, Konoha's leading taijutsu specialist. We would not do well to underestimate them."

After mulling the situation over for a few moments, Nagato delivered his order. "Sasori, gather three of the Soldiers of the Dawn from outside the cave. We're going to stall for time."

He turned to three other members of his organization. "Kakazu, Konan, Itachi; I'm going to need about one third of your chakra."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it. Things will get really intense from here on out; it's going to be a lot of action. Before you go any further, remember to take nothing for granted. Just because something happens in canon doesn't mean that anything of the sort will happen in this story, and vice versa. **

**I'm also going to make Sasuke more of a human being here. I definitely found it unrealistic that he so easily discarded all emotion and feelings after a single fight. Nothing will be immediate, so don't worry.**

**As for potential parings, this story will not focus on that. It may play a part, but again, if you want to influence that decision, review and let me know. **

**You'll also notice (hopefully) that things are more organized in this chapter. This is the first chapter that is outlined; the first five were basically done by the seat of my pants, with only a few general points to guide what direction I went with it. Now, though, I have an outline for the rest of this arc, and hopefully it will reflect that.**

**Until next time, please review!**

**Next chapter: Angel of Death**


End file.
